Brain Supplements: Are They Helpful, or All Hype?
Published Oct 18, 2011
Take a walk down the vitamin section of nearly any supermarket or drugstore, and you’ll probably come across a product that promises to boost your brainpower with one pill. At retail outlets and websites that specialize in nutraceuticals, the selection of brain supplements can become quite overwhelming — and the health claims associated with them quite persuasive. I’ve seen claims that one pill can help improve vision and hearing, help get back the memory clarity you had 15 years ago, and/or promote intelligence and IQ. Who wouldn’t want that?
However, the truth is that there is no hard scientific evidence that any nutritional supplement can achieve these things. In fact, a study published Oct. 10 in the Archives of Internal Medicine raised the question of whether vitamins do more harm than good.
Still, as the baby boomer generation gets older and older — and faces the threat of age-related cognitive decline and diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia — consumer demand for a magical brain pill is high, boosting a market that’s commanding a huge share of the $28 billion dietary supplement industry.
What’s In These Brain Supplements?
The cocktail of ingredients found in brain vitamins vary, and can include herbs, vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids and other substances. Of course, most brands keep their proprietary formulations close to the chest, in order to differentiate from the competition. What’s more, the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t substantiate the claims made by dietary supplements.
The jury is still out on most of the more popular ingredients, including:
- Ginkgo biloba. Some evidence has suggested that ingesting ginkgo leaf extract may improve symptoms of Alzheimer’s and improve thinking skills among some older adults. Most notably, an eight-year study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 240 milligrams of ginkgo per day could reduce the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s. However, there also are many studies that show ginkgo has no effect, so a definitive answer remains to be found.
- Acetyl-l-carnitine. A substance naturally found in the brain, acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) supports the processing of thought and memory, among other functions. So, it’s not surprising to believe that more of it would increase its effects. However, the outcomes of ingested ALC on cognition are unclear. Some supplements contain an ingredient called choline, which helps the body produce more ALC.
- Alpha lipoic acid. Some laboratory and observational studies have shown that alpha lipoic acid (ALA), an antioxidant, may potentially slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and other brain-related disorders. The reasoning behind it is partially due to the fact that ALA can easily pass through the blood-brain barrier. Researchers continue to investigate whether ALA is a viable treatment option for stroke and other problems caused by free radical damage. So far, the results are mixed.
What’s More Likely to be Beneficial?
There are a few ingredients that show more promise than others to truly protect and support brain health, in my opinion. They include:
- Fish oil. The anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids found in purified fish oil, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have long been touted to preserve certain aspects of brain function and lower the risk of dementia, among a host of other non-brain health benefits. Based on the research I’ve seen so far, evidence favoring DHA’s protective role in brain health is optimistic.
- Curcumin. As I mentioned in a prior blog post curcumin — found in the spice turmeric — has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits that may slow down age-related brain degradation, including Alzheimer’s. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has focused many studies to further investigate this compound, which is a good sign.
- Vitamin B12. A September report in the medical journal Neurology found that older people with a vitamin B12 deficiency had smaller brains and scored lower on tests that measured thinking, reasoning and memory. Though it doesn’t prove that a lack of B12 causes brain shrinkage, it does provide reasoning to pursue further study in the vitamin’s role in brain health. Additionally, as people age, a B12 deficiency has been known to increase the risk for peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage).
My best advice? Don’t be fooled by marketing gimmicks. There is no one-pill-fits-all, all-in-one solution. Be sure to consult your physician if you plan on taking any vitamins or supplements. And don’t forget the irreplaceable benefits of getting your nutrients from food; synthetic supplements are no match against the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and myriad of other beneficial compounds found in whole foods, such as fish, fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
Mind your health,
Dr. Keith Black